• On the individual level, the program reaches children with knowledge about violence prevention through school curricula, theater for development, radio, clubs, after-school programs, and assemblies.
• On the community level, we implement Participatory Rural Appraisal activities, as well as a community and national baseline survey in the pilot schools to collect data on how boys and girls experience SRGBV.
• On the institutional level, we provide training for education professionals on SRGBV awareness, prevention, reporting, and referral, and on the implementation of the Code of Conduct. The SSP also strengthens or creates reporting and referral systems for victims of violence and provides institutional support services through trained counselors in SRGBV.
• And at the national level, an Advocates Network will be formed to raise awareness of SRGBV among key stakeholders and government officials and will promote advocacy on the issue.

The A Qualitative Study to Examine School-Related Gender-Based Violence in Malawi summarizes the results of a participatory learning and action (PLA) research activity conducted in Malawi’s Machinga District to help raise awareness, involvement, and accountability at national, institutional, community and individual levels of school-related gender-based violence.  Key findings include: the concept of gender-based violence is not clearly understood , boys and girls are victims as well as perpetrators of gender-based violence , absenteeism and dropping out are common outcomes of gender-based violence in schools,  corporal punishment is a common form of physical abuse in schools, and reporting systems can be effective, provided there is strong leadership.  The study was conducted in October and November 2005 by DevTech Systems, Inc. and the Centre for Educational Research and Training through the Safe Schools Program.

In December 2007, the Safe Schools Program has released the Student and Teacher Baseline Report on School-Related Gender-Based Violence in Machinga District, Malawi which details the methodology, population characteristics, and results of a recently conducted survey on gender-based physical, psychological and sexual violence at schools including in the classroom and on the school grounds as well as going to and from school.  Students and teachers were asked questions about the type of violence, abuse and mistreatment that boys and girls experience at school; who perpetrates the violence; where violence occurs; if there are other school practices or conditions that are inappropriate, place pupils at risk or potentially interfere with their schooling; and the effectiveness of reporting.  The study was conducted in Malawi in April 2006 by DevTech Systems, Inc. and the Centre for Educational Research and Training (CERT) through the USAID-funded Safe Schools Program. 

The Safe Schools Program released the Quantitative Research Instrument to Measure School-Related Gender-Based Violence at the end of 2006, which details the sampling methodology, interview guidelines, and suggested preliminary data analysis of a recently conducted study to assess the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and experiences of boys and girls and teachers in Malawi with gender-based physical, psychological and sexual violence at schools, including in the classroom and on the school grounds, as well as going to and from school.

Additional Gender-Related Tools and Publications